Billy Rogan. Music. Guitar. Stories.

"Jouney through these tales and tunes"

A musicians shared experiences and thoughts on the world around us

Bush, Butt cheeks and Balancing your voice

It’s interesting to witness on fb how we all want to be the first to post our newly informed awareness about the passing of certain celebrities and other current popular entertainment events, yet most of us don’t feel that same spark and connection of interest to the culturally relevant, and highly important issues of the world outside of forms of entertainment. Normally I would agree with the thought, “well, that’s for news sources or others to report.” However, those days are over and I find I now become more aware of groundbreaking news of the world by random posts from friends that equally share a broader stream of interests and passions on the world around us. Thank you to those people for balancing topics of interest and enjoyment in their lives and for not making this website comparable to that of a super market checkout line only filled with headlines of the increasingly growing size of Kim Kardashian’s ass cheeks. That being said, normally in a free and open society where media is controlled by its people, a former president and joint chiefs of staff being convicted of war crimes would be front page news. It isn’t, so please keep posting news that the media is failing to.. and even feel free to post news on Kim Kardashian’s butt cheeks, too. I want it all, people. I want it all. 

http://libertarianreview.us/2012/05/16/george-w-bush-convicted-of-war-crimes-cant-leave-u-s-fearing-arrest/

Read More

Viewpoints on media censorship, political ignorance and unconstitutional injustices - Maybe all we need to do is dance.

Julian Assange:  ”Left wing anti-american, nut job whistleblower” - A childish NY Times report today.  (NY Times - A  Murdoch media conglomerate with vested interest steering reporting) Or..  Julian Assange:  ”An advocate for transparency and adversarial journalism — shining a light on the conduct of the world’s most powerful government and corporate factions.”  (Salon.com - Independent Journalism.) 

Salon.com’s  brilliant rebuttal to NY Times piece here:

http://www.salon.com/2012/04/18/attacks_on_rt_and_assange_reveal_much_about_the_critics/singleton/

 Whatever your opinion, it’s important to know that there are no more “watchdog main media” sources reporting today. Transparency in media and government, in the realm of common sense, does not endanger national security, nor does the suppression of freedom of speech make a nation any safer. This suppression , in fact, is what  threatens our future, our nation’s safety and threatens our great nation’s values the most. Our last true people’s president, John F. Kennedy summed it up best over 50 years ago. He stated:

“There is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon by those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment.”   

 Kennedy’s amazing and highly relevant speech here: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnHBycP4qdg

If you’ve helped to raise awareness or had concerns with SOPA, please become knowledgeable and educate yourself on CISPA, which threatens your constitutional rights and internet freedoms even more than SOPA would have ever set forth to accomplish. You can do so here:

http://techland.time.com/2012/04/19/5-reasons-the-cispa-cybersecurity-bill-should-be-tossed/

You can also sign American Civil Liberties Union petition against CISPA  here:

https://secure.aclu.org/site/SPageServer?s_subsrc=SEM_Google_Search-Cispa_Stop+CISPA_cispa_e_13566758182&pagename=SEM_CISPA&JServSessionIdr004=yqgk1o2ib3.app223a

 It may seem odd to some reading this, that one would chose to go on with political banter. Dialogue such as this might make some people uncomfortable, seem unnecessary to others, or even counterproductive to a musician’s career, I suppose. I must admit, certain discomfort or worry is now felt with what opinions may arise from putting forth an effort to raise awareness, to speak up or to, perhaps, if I may, to even to make that decision we’ve all done before by being that first person out on the dance floor. This commonly experienced comparison should remind us all that great enjoyment and passion can even be fulfilled by first passing through fear, doubt and discomfort.  

 In our nation today, there is currently far too much at stake for us all to not share these highly important and relevant government actions with others. Especially now, in a sea of biased, special interest, regulated, censored and controlled journalism, as well as the current threats to squander our availability to information and free speech,  we must attempt do our very best at becoming more aware, knowledgeable, caring, engaged and informed citizens. Before you are a musician, a teacher, a student, a teenager, elder, lawyer, parent, waiter, artist, republican, democrat or independent - You are an United Sates Citizen and have the responsibility to care about these issues, to learn about them and to inform others, or to speak up against them. You can simply do your part by caring to know more and at least share your voice during what is one of the most politically important times of our nations history.

   As stated in The Deceleration of Independence, our nations founders held certain truths to be “self-evident”. What this translates to, is that your logical thoughts or internal gut reactions to current governmental wrongdoings are correct for a reason. These thoughts, feeling and emotions are based off of a common knowledge equally inherited to all of mankind. Your feelings of injustice steer you true to believe that corporations are not individuals. That The Patriot Act, National Defense Authorization Act and countless other recent acts and presidential executive orders accomplished under the guise of “patriotism” are wrong and unconstitutional. We need Campaign reform to get the money and corruption out of politics, get it out of media, out of the agriculture industry that suppresses healthy, organic and chemical free foods. Money out of scientific studies for future alternative energies, and money out of any important policy decision being made for the well-being of a nations future. 

You can learn more about campaign reform currently underway here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Americans-for-Campaign-Reform-ACR/182193211815005

 One of the greatest and most memorable presidential speeches in this nations history stated, “Ask not what your country can do you, but what you can do for your country.” Understanding that there is a responsibility that comes with being a citizen of the United States is what Kennedy implied with these words. If you set aside 10 minutes to sign petitions, to post relevant political topics, or equally balance your facebook posts on these morally self-evident, unjust topics, you’d be doing a great part in adding to a more well informed and educated nation. You can do your part of your responsibility just by simply educating yourself and sharing that knowledge with others.  ”We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing - with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together” - Dwight D. Eisenhower

Caring enough about these issues to create this discussion does not make you, or myself a political activist. It just means you care enough about truth, educating yourself and doing what is right. There is no need for a title, label, judgement or definition for these actions. One is already applied to you - American citizen. That is all you need.  

  We are seeing a larger disconnect to shared political responsibility in society today and now, because of this, even our civil liberties are being directly threatened due to our ignorance. The current lack of knowledge and lack of discussion on the current National Defense Authorization Act proves this. Are you informed of what the NDAA is?

Know what the National Defense Authorization Act is. Learn here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Defense_Authorization_Act_for_Fiscal_Year_2012

 I believe that we could all admit and agree that we all need to to try to care more about the current political landscape of our country today. The times of choosing to remain willfully ignorant and turning the other cheek are behind us. There are too many unconstitutional injustices taking place in the nation that are able to occur simply by the lack of action which arises out of fear. The purest and greatest of all pleasures and passions in life can even be obtained by first passing through fear, doubt and discomfort or our way to obtaining fulfillment.

 The dance floor always quickly fills up.

In fact, there’s also a video on that and it’s one of the most empowering viral videos out there I’ve ever seen. It also just so happens to have some of the best and funniest dance moves ever created.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW8amMCVAJQ

  Happy learning, sharing and dancing

 One evening in West Palm Beach we were invited to take in a sold out concert of world music guitarist, Benise at The Kravis Center of The Performing Arts. If you have never heard of Benise, think flamenco guitar combined with world dance and theatre. The show highlighted multiple set and costume changes and elaborate choreographed regional dance routines set to the guitarist and bands performances. Each set, dance and musical number combined their respectful elements for a wonderful theatrical presentation equally highlighted by its separate ingredients of talented musicians, dancers, musicians and choreography.

OOOOOOHHHHHHHHMMMMMM I get centered in the Society of the Four Arts Garden in Palm Beach after shooting the shit with my boys Dwight D. and Winston C. They had me crackin up. Churchy’s a sick bastard.

Reunite with my best friend Frank after a long year. Rawb and I proceeded to destroy Frank and his sister in a game of Cranium. (Domination of Cranium not shown)

Nursing a sprained wrist from all the guitar playing on an old injury. We get a tour of Palm Beach’s brand new theater by the architect, Elvis. Rollin deep with Palm Beaches finest and something tells me that there’s not anyone with a yacht and mansion in those tents from the Occupy Palm Beach “movement”.

Billy Rogan stopping by The Florida Keys Children’s Shelter on Halloween for a Concert and Q/A.

Key Largo House concert 

Great times with Good friends in Palm Beach, Florida.

 Anyone that heads south to Florida for the cold months of winter is usually referred to as a snow bird.. Or has simply reached the age of retirement. Am I running out the clock already? .. Should I start taking Metamucil? What is going on? 

 After last winters “snowpocalypse” in New York and some weeks spent working in Florida over the past few years, it was time to really do it right and get an early jump on the warm sunlight. I Couldn’t have picked a better week. The day we arrived, it snowed in New York. 

Later that evening upon our arrival, mind you the same day driving straight from Asheville, NC, was an outdoor house concert at Bill Mathers’ abode. Mr. Bill Mathers is a legit treasure hunter having discovered several shipwrecks. His most notable discovery being The Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion, a Spanish Manila galleon. Manila galleon’s were vessels that sailed to the orient carrying silver, spices, gold, jewels and were three times larger than the Atlantic galleons, such as the famous Atocha. Long story short, Bill is the man. And on top of setting sail for the worlds open seas in search of Spanish treasures, it was great to make friends with someone that also equally values the other priceless things in life such as a day with music and friends. Thanks to Bill for opening his.. dock.. boat.. lawn.. Thank you Bill and all that attended.

  What a beautiful spot to perform. On a dock under the stars. Friends Scott Sloan and Randy Mason sat in on a few tunes for the second set. I always try invite my friends up to jam a few during my shows. Randy actually studied fingerstyle guitar with Revered Gary Davis back in the 60’s in the East Village. Dude can play and he tore it up. He also wore the same shirt as me, so Randy also has excellent taste. My good friend, Scott laid down some smooth covers that he truly makes his won while letting me solo a bit. These moments are my favorite for the night because I’ve been noticing that having others come up for the second set usually tends to make the vibe a bit more communal and connected. Plus playing music with others is what its all about.

 Having blast here in Florida. See you with more stories soon

 -BR

  

 


Highlight Reel from Lake Worth, Fl house concert with a little intro to our host, Bill Mathers and a tour of his treasure hunting boat